Sale and Lease of Shipping Containers at the Port of Tuticorin (V.O. Chidambaranar Port)

Why It’s Profitable to Buy a Container in Tuticorin

Tuticorin (Thoothukudi) is not just a city, but a strategically important logistics gateway in South India. The V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust (VOCT) is the second-largest container hub in the state of Tamil Nadu after Chennai, but it is less congested and offers faster cargo handling operations.

For exporters, logistics companies, and warehouse operators, purchasing a dedicated container (operating under the SOC – Shipper’s Own Container scheme) in Tuticorin solves critical tasks:

• Guaranteed equipment availability: During peak export seasons (e.g., textile shipments from Tiruppur), obtaining an empty container from a shipping line can be difficult. An owned fleet eliminates downtime.

• No Demurrage & Detention (D&D) charges: In case of delays at customs or during transshipment (e.g., in Colombo or Singapore), you do not pay massive fines for the carrier's equipment overtime.

• Cargo specialization: The ability to prepare the equipment in advance: reinforce the flooring for heavy granite or pass a PTI for a reefer destined for seafood.

• Mobile storage: The container can be used as a reliable, weathertight, and vandal-resistant warehouse on the premises of Indian manufacturing sites or at an ICD (Inland Container Depot).

Key Logistics Hubs in the Region

We position and supply equipment at strategic locations, minimizing the inland haulage (drayage) leg from the manufacturer to the port:

Port of Tuticorin (V.O. Chidambaranar Port)

Main container terminals (CT1, CT2). The port has a depth of up to 13–14 meters, allowing it to accommodate feeder-class vessels and large container ships. Direct and transshipment lines operate from here to the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

Tiruppur and Coimbatore

India's largest hubs for knitwear and textile production, located 150–200 km from the port. We organize container delivery to local ICDs (dry ports) for stuffing and subsequent rail or road dispatch to Tuticorin.

Granite clusters (Madurai, Udhagamandalam)

Regions of active quarrying and processing of natural stone. Here we supply reinforced 20-foot containers capable of withstanding the extreme point loads from blocks and slabs.

Popular Export Cargo from Tuticorin

• Textiles and apparel: Knitwear, ready-made garments, home textiles from Tiruppur and Karur. Ideal for 40HC (high volume, low weight).

• Granite and natural stone: Slabs, blocks, monuments. Require 20DC with reinforced flooring and secure lashing.

• Seafood and spices: Shrimp, frozen fish, pepper, cardamom. Require reefer containers (20RF/40RF) with precise temperature and humidity control.

• Auto components and leather goods: Spare parts for two-wheelers, footwear, and leather accessories from neighboring industrial zones.

Which Containers to Choose for the India Route

20DC (Dry Container)

The standard for heavy cargo (granite, machinery, chemicals in IBC totes). Withstands a payload of up to 28 tons.

40HC (High Cube)

The best choice for textiles, footwear, and lightweight bulky cargo. The extra internal height (2.9 m) allows maximum cubic capacity utilization within weight limits.

Reefer containers (20'/40')

Mandatory for exporting frozen seafood. All offered reefers undergo a Pre-Trip Inspection (PTI) and maintain a temperature range from -25°C to +25°C.

Open Top / Flat Rack

For Out-of-Gauge (OOG) industrial equipment or large batches of stone that are inconvenient to load through standard doors.

Container Terminals and Port Infrastructure of Tuticorin (V.O. Chidambaranar Port)

The Port of Tuticorin is officially named V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust (VOCT). It is the second-largest "seaport gateway" in the state of Tamil Nadu (after Chennai), but it has a key advantage: lower congestion, which ensures faster vessel turnaround and shorter queues for truck gate-in/gate-out.

The port specializes in container shipping, bulk cargo (coal, copper concentrate), and is the main export hub for the textile and mining industries of South India.

Main Operating Container Terminals

Currently, the port infrastructure includes several key facilities capable of handling a combined total of over 1.17 million TEU per year.

Tuticorin International Container Terminal (TICT)

The port's flagship modern terminal.

• Berth depth: 14.2 meters

• Vessel capacity: Accommodates container ships up to 10,000 – 12,100 TEU class.

• Capacity: Approximately 600,000 TEU per year.

• Equipment: Modern STS (Ship-to-Shore) cranes, automated tracking systems, and 12 on-site Container Freight Stations (CFS) for customs clearance and cargo consolidation.

PSA SICAL Container Terminal

A joint venture involving the Singaporean operator PSA International.

• Specializes in the efficient handling of feeder lines and large vessels.

• Features its own integrated dry port (ICD unit), allowing customs clearance and cargo stuffing directly on the port premises, bypassing external warehouses.

Why Knowing the Port Infrastructure is Important When Buying a Container

• For textile exporters (Tiruppur/Coimbatore):
  Using 40HC containers delivered directly to the ICD in Tiruppur allows you to stuff the maximum volume of lightweight goods and dispatch them by rail to the port without the risk of cargo damage during transshipment.

• For granite and stone exporters:
  Tuticorin's terminals are accustomed to heavy cargo. Purchasing a 20DC container in CW (Cargo Worthy) condition with verified floor integrity is critical for the safe transport of heavy stone blocks to berths with a depth of 14+ meters.

• For seafood:
  The availability of specialized reefer plugs at the TICT and PSA SICAL terminals guarantees that your reefer container will be connected to the power grid and maintain the required temperature until it is loaded onto the vessel.

• Avoiding downtime:
  Compared to the Port of Chennai, Tuticorin has lower traffic density, which reduces truck waiting times at the port gate (gate-in) and speeds up the release of empty containers or the acceptance of loaded ones.

*The information on this page does not constitute a public offer.

*MyContainers is a partner of MyWay.